Thursday 6 August 2015

Chicken Marinated in Chilli Garlic Oil with Chickpea Greek Salad + Minty Greek Yoghurt.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Give me all the chicken salads please! I'm obsessed!

You guys asked for more chicken salad recipes, so here you go!
Expect more too because I'm kind of addicted to them.
This is a recipe that came out of the most random things. I love it when that happens.
so. chicken marinated in chilli garlic oil. I had actually made the oil for another recipe and wasn't 100% happy with the end result. then, I remembered seeing a recipe on Martha Stewart for chicken marinated in garlic oil and decided to give it a go.
We've made a chilli oil on the blog before, so I kind of knew what to expect. They're really simple and quick to make but pack a tonne of flavour. And, marinading chicken in it made total sense since whenever I marinade chicken, I usually add a splash or two of oil to the bowl. With the addition of fresh coriander, lemon slices and salt, the marinade was done!

The funny thing about this chickpea Greek salad is that I only realized that it was a Greek salad when I began to write up the recipe. A Greek salad usually consists of red onion, cucumber, tomato, olives and feta. It's tossed with an olive oil, lemon and wine vinegar dressing. I upped the ante by throwing in a can of chickpeas and a handful of fresh basil, well, because the basil is taking over!

To bring everything together and because we had a pot of Greek yoghurt, I blitzed up a really simple minty yoghurt dip. I wanted the fresh mint to really shine through and didn't add anything else except a little salt and pepper. No chilli, no fresh coriander, just the mint doing its thing and being awesome.
And, this is how we ate it. It was so good, you guys, so fresh and light. Also, there's feta, red onion and olives on my plate. Who am I?? The chicken was the perfect match for the chilli garlic oil which on its own can be too strong. And, the minty yoghurt? Well, it was so easy to make and it hit the spot. I could've drank it. This salad thing is one of my new favourite meals and I'm having it for dinner again tonight. 
I hope you'll do the same.

Chicken Salad, previously: spicy grilled chicken salad with creamy coriander dressingsmoky chicken cobb saladBBQ chicken saladspicy chicken with zesty rice salad.

A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Olive Oil
2. Garlic 
3. Dried Red Chilli Flakes

4. Chicken Breast Strips
5. Lemon
6. Salt and Pepper
7. Fresh Coriander

8. Cucumber
9. Cherry Tomatoes
10. Pitted Green Olives
11. Fresh Basil
12. Feta
13. Red Onion
14. Tinned Chickpeas

15. White Wine Vinegar
16. Greek Yoghurt
17. Fresh Mint

Bismillah, let's begin!


And, we begin by making the chilli garlic oil which could not be easier. Three ingredients, one pan and a few minutes, and we'll be done. If you want an oil with extra spices, try the one in this recipe.

Take a deep saucepan and measure out 125ml (1/2 cup) Olive Oil. I used the olive oil for cooking and a vegetable oil would be fine too.


Pour the oil into the pan.


So, we have the oil part. Now for the chilli. I used dried red chilli flakes. These are a lot less intense than red chilli powder.


Take 1 tablespoon Dried Red Chilli Flakes. Adjust the measurements according to how spicy your chilli flakes are.


Add the chilli flakes to the pan.


We have the oil and the chilli. Now, for the garlic. Take 5 Garlic Cloves.


Give them a peel and a smash with the back of a knife. We don't want to chop the garlic because it'll be too strong.


Add the garlic to the pan.


Give everything a quick stir.


Place over a medium heat and let it come to a low boil.


This is when the oil begins to bubble. The garlic will start to cook and the oil will be very reminiscent of a tarka used in daal.


Cook the oil for 3-4 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned.


Like so! 


Pour the oil into a bowl and let it cool completely. This is great to make ahead and it will keep, covered tightly, in the fridge for a few days.
It also is great in salad dressings but we ....


... are going to marinade chicken with it. In this picture, the oil looks a little different because it's been in the fridge overnight and solidified. A quick stir soon sorted it out though.


For the chicken, take 560 grams (1 pound 3 ounces) Chicken Breast, cut into strips.


Place into a mixing bowl.


Take the cooled chilli garlic oil. If it's solidified, give it a stir and it'll be fine.


Add 3 tablespoons Chilli Garlic Oil, or to taste. Remember, the oil will be quite strong on its own but with the chicken, it'll be fine. Chicken can take it!


Then, grab 1 Lemon.


Slice it into thin rounds and add to the bowl.


Season with Salt and Pepper, to taste. I used 1 teaspoon Salt and 1/4 teaspoon Pepper.


Finally, take a handful Fresh Coriander.


Give it a chop and add to the bowl.


Stir well.


Cover and set aside to marinade for a few hours and even better, overnight!


30 minutes before you want to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
Take a large frying pan and set it over medium heat. When it's hot, add the chicken along with all the marinade.
There's no need to add any extra oil because there's plenty in the marinade.


Let it bubble for a minute or two.


Then, cover with a lid and set the heat to the lowest. Let it cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.


Uncover the pan and it's time to dry out all the excess liquid.


Turn the heat up and stir-fry until the liquid has dried out ...


... like this! You can keep it as saucy or as dry as you like. And, that's it! Keep it warm whilst we make the chickpea Greek salad.

Side Note Thing: the recipe that I adapted, baked the chicken in the oven. Feel free to do that too.


To make the chickpea Greek salad, it could not be easier than gathering your ingredients together, giving the dice, pouring in a simple dressing and giving everything a toss.

So, take a big bowl and let's do this!


First up, cucumber. I love cucumbers - there a must in every salad I make.


Take 1/2 Cucumber and give it a dice.


Throw it into the bowl.


Next, cherry tomatoes! These are another fave and let's be honest, you're missing out if you don't use them. They're in season and so sweet.


Take 15 Cherry Tomatoes and slice them in half.


Toss them in.


Oh my gosh, next, we have olives! I'm not the biggest olive fan but I put them because my dad eats them like they're sweets and because they add a pickled, saltiness to everything.


Throw in about 4 tablespoons Pitted Green Olives.


Next, fresh basil. We're harvesting this from two plants that are growing non-stop this summer. If you don't want to use basil, try fresh coriander or parsley instead.


I added a handful Fresh Basil, chopped.



Next, feta. An ingredient that I haven't ever been too fond of until quite recently. My cousin used it in a salad at her tea party, and I couldn't comprehend how anyone could eat it. It was so salty and soft. Fast forward two years when I cooked orzo with Greek lamb and feta. The feta was crumbled over the hot lamb and it melted and created these pockets of salty, creamy goodness and I was hooked.


Along with feta, another ingredient which I wasn't too keen on was raw onion. To this salad, I added it in, sliced very thinly to give that onion flavour that so many people love.


So, into the bowl goes:
Few tablespoons Feta, crumbled
1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced


Next, my fave, tinned chickpeas. Give them a drain and rinse before adding in.


I added 1 tin (400 grams) Chickpeas.


That's all the veggies. Time for the dressing and what I love about this salad is that the dressing ingredients are just poured straight in - no need to whisk them in a separate bowl.


First up, white wine vinegar.


To the bowl, add 2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar.


Along with 2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.


Next, plenty of Salt and Pepper. Don't skimp on the seasoning here, it's what will bring all the veggies to life. Trust me.


Finally, the juice of 1/2 Lemon.


And, that's it! Give everything a good toss.


The chickpea Greek salad is ready! This would make a great veggie lunch on its own.


Finally, minty Greek yoghurt. Into a bowl, place:
Handful Fresh Mint Leaves
4 tablespoons Greek Yoghurt (taken from the 200ml in the recipe)
Give them a blitz with a hand blender until smooth.


Stir in the remaining 200ml Greek Yoghurt. Add Salt and Pepper, to taste and stir in.
If you want a runnier yoghurt, add a few drops of milk to help thin it out.

We're ready to eat! Grab a platter and put on your chicken. Don't forget the lemon slices too - they will be lovely and caramelized.


Pile on the salad and pop the yoghurt in a small dish.


Yum!

There's no real method as to how to eat this salad - just load it all onto a plate and dig in!

Full Written Recipe:


Chicken Marinated in Chilli Garlic Oil with Chickpea Greek Salad + Minty Greek Yoghurt.

Prep Time: About 30 minutes + a few hours or overnight, for marinading the chicken.
Cook Time: About 15 minutes.
Serves: About 4 people.

Ingredients

For the Chilli Garlic Oil
125 ml (½ cup) Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Dried Red Chilli Flakes
5 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed

For the Chicken Marinated in Chilli Garlic Oil
560 grams (1 pound 3 ounces) Chicken Breast, cut into strips
3 tablespoons Cooled Chilli Garlic Oil (or to taste)
1 Lemon, sliced into thin rounds
1 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Handful Fresh Coriander, chopped

For the Chickpea Greek Salad
½ Cucumber, diced
15 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
4 tablespoons Pitted Green Olives
6 Basil Leaves, chopped
Few tablespoons Feta, crumbled
¼ Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tin (400 grams) Chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Plenty of Salt and Pepper
Juice of ½ Lemon

For the Minty Greek Yoghurt
200ml Greek Yoghurt
Handful Fresh Mint Leaves
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method

To make the Chilli Garlic Oil:
Place the olive oil, chilli flakes and garlic into a deep saucepan. Bring to a low boil and cook for 3-4 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and lightly brown.
Set aside and let it cool completely. This will keep in the fridge, covered tightly, for a few days.

To make the Chicken Marinated in Chilli Garlic Oil:
Place the chicken strips in a bowl. Add the chilli garlic oil, lemon slices, salt, pepper and fresh coriander. Give everything a good stir. Leave to marinade for a few hours or ideally, overnight in fridge.
30 minutes before you want to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
To cook, take a large frying pan. Place over a medium heat and when the pan is hot, add all the chicken along with the marinade. Let it bubble and fry for a minute or two.
Then, turn the heat right down and cover with a lid. Let it cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Then, uncover and dry out the excess liquid over a high heat, stir-frying as you do this. Keep it as saucy or as dry as you want.

To make the Chickpea Greek Salad:
Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.

To make the Minty Greek Yoghurt:
Blend 4 tablespoons of the Greek yoghurt with the fresh mint until smooth. Then, stir in the remaining yoghurt, salt and pepper.

To Serve:
Take a platter and pile on the chicken and salad. Either drizzle the yoghurt on top or serve in a small bowl. Enjoy!

{Adapted from Martha Stewart + The Domestic Geek}

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Keep me in your duas, please, and enjoy your chicken salad!

Wasalaam!


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